Regarding the GAIT results, those arthritis sufferers who reported mild to moderate arthritis pain, didn't get any more relief from glucosamine and/or controitin than those on a placebo. However, 79% of those with moderate to severe arthritis pain reported that glucosamine/'condroitin reduced their pain by at least 20%. Only 69% of patients taking Celebrex reported similar benefits.Long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, such as ibuprofin, found in Advil, or naproxen, found in Aleve, is also highly risky. Each year, side effects from NSAIDs cause nearly 103,000 hospitalizations and 16,500 deaths. The drugs can lead to indigestion, peptic ulcer disease and damage to the small intestine and colon, resulting in internal bleeding, bowel perforation, and other life-threatening problems. In one recent study comparing arthriris patients who took NSAIDs to those who used Tylenol or took nothing for pain relief, nearly 60% of NSAID users developed ulcers or erosions in the small intestine compared with 17% of nonusers.
The GAIT study will continue for another 18 months, to determine if X-rays show any noticeable changes in the knee joint after one and two years of treatment.
The 16,500 annual deaths from NSAID use is rather significant. By comparison, in 2002, (apparently the latest year for which statistics are available), 43,354 people died in automobile accidents in the U S, and 776 died from gun-related accidents. When you think about the fact that guns are considered to be extremely dangerous devices, apparently NSAIDs are over 21 times as dangerous, (they killed over 21 times as many people). You won't catch me touching an NSAID with a ten foot pole.
Tex
